NAVOIY PRESIDENTIAL SCHOOL

GCSE-Edexcel G8 ::
Prime Factorisation & LCM/HCF
Mr. Richard & Mr IIkhom
Objectives: Be able to find the prime factorisation of a number, and find
the Lower Common Multiple or Highest Common Factor of two numbers.
This resource is intended for both Foundation & Higher Tiers.
STARTER :: Factorisation
Recall that a factor of a number is a number that it can be divided
by without a remainder.
For example, 3 is a factor of 12 as leaves no remainder.

List the factors of the following numbers:

10: 1, 2, 5, 10 ?
12: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, ?12
48: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, ?12, 16, 24, 48
Prime Factorisation
Key Term: Product just
For reasons we’ll see later, it’s often helpful to be able to write means the numbers
a number as a product of its prime factors. have been multiplied,
e.g. the “product of 2
and 3” is
We only want to use prime numbers
here. We can use them more than
once if needed!

10=𝟐×𝟓
Tip: We usually give the prime
? ? factors in ascending order.

? ? ?
? ? ?
To be more concise, we could write
as , therefore
Prime Factor Trees
This is not so bad when the numbers are small, but it would be harder to
write larger numbers as a product of prime factors in our head!
We can make this easier using a prime factor tree.
Think of two numbers which Read all the numbers
multiple to give 360. from the leaves.

360
3610 We ‘branch’ into these two
numbers. I’ve used , but there’s lots
of pairs you could have chosen.

9 4 25 We can only ‘stop’ at a number of

it is prime. But neither 36 nor 10
is prime, so we have to keep
Note: Trees in ‘branching out’ of each.

3322 maths are

upside down. 2 and 5 are both prime, so we circle
them. These are ‘leaves’ of the tree
and no longer branch out.
Further Example
At the leaves we have one 2,
two 3s and three 5s.

2250¿ 2 ×3 2 × 53
225 10
45 5 2 5

9 5

3 3
Test Your Understanding
Using a tree, find the prime factorisation of 1350.
When done, try coming up with more trees. What do you notice about the final result
in each case?
3 2
1350=2 ×3 × 5
?

1350 1350

5 270
10 135
3
2 5 5 27 Some Possible
90
Trees
3 9 ?3 30
5 6
3 3
2 3

We always end up with the same leaves each time, and hence the same factorisation.
Fundamental Law of Arithmetic/Unique Factorisation Theorem: Every positive integer
can be uniquely expressed as a product of primes.
 EXTENSION :: Dealing with numbers in power form
Sometimes you might have a number with powers, but the base (the big number) is
not prime. How would you prime factorise this? What if a base was repeated?

3 ?
3 3 4
10 =( 2 ×5 2
) ×2 ?
?
?
?

Note: This is an example of

a ‘law of indices’.

Quickfire Questions:

N: Working:
? ?
? ?
? ?
? ?
? ?
? ?
Exercise 1
1 Write the following as a product of prime numbers 3 [IMC 2001 Q6] . Which of the following
(you will not need to use a tree). numbers is also the product of exactly
three distinct prime numbers?
? [ ] 45 [ ] 60 [ ] 91
? [ ] 105 [ ] 330
? Answer: 105
?
2 By drawing a tree of otherwise, find prime [Edexcel IGCSE(9-1) Jan 2019(R) 1F
factorisations (in index form) for the following 4 Q24b, Jan 2019(R) 1H Q9b]
numbers.

? Write as a product of powers of its prime

? factors.
?
?
? ?
?
?
?
?
Exercise 1
5 [Edexcel IGCSE May2014(R)-4H Q8b Edited] 7 Prime factorise the following:
?
Given that
?
and that ?
Suppose 1 was considered to be a
?
prime number. Explain why this
and that
Arithmetic.
?
violates the Fundamental Law of

write as a product of powers of its prime For example, 6 could be expressed as

factors. N1
or or . But FLA states there is a
unique factorisation for each integer.
? Thus 1 is not prime.

Put in prime factorised form: [TMC Regional 2012 Q4] Find the sum
6
of all numbers less than 120 which are
? ?
the product of exactly three different
? prime factors.
? Solution: 717
? N2
?
?
?
Starter
List out the factors of 8 and 12.
What factors do they have in common?

Factors of 8: 1, 2, 4, 8?
Factors of 12: 1, 2, 3, 4,
? 6, 12
Factors in common: 1, 2, 4 ?

List out the some multiples of 8 and 12.

What multiples do they have in common?

Multiples of 8: 8, 16, 24, 32,? 40, 48, …

Multiples of 12: ? 60, 72, …
12, 24, 36, 48,
Multiples in common: 24, 48, 72, …?
Lowest Common Multiple/Highest Common Factor

Multiples of 8: 8, 16, 24, 32, …

Multiples of 12: 12, 24, 36, …

Lowest Common Multiple of 8 and 12: 24 ?

For small numbers, we can list out
multiples of the larger number until we see
a multiple of the smaller number.

Factors of 8: 1, 2, 4, 8
Factors of 12: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12

Highest Common Factor of 8 and 12: 4?

For small numbers, we can list out factors
of each number and choose the greatest
number which is common.
Check Your Understanding
Shortcut: Any multiple of 60

𝐿𝐶𝑀 ( 60 ,72 ) =𝟑𝟔𝟎 ?

1 ends with a 0. Therefore the
multiple of 72, in order to end
with a 0, must be x5, x10, …
?
Shortcut: Any number which goes into
60 and 72 must also go into their
difference! (i.e. 12)
(This principle is the foundation of something called
Euclid’s algorithm)

?
2
𝐿𝐶𝑀 ( 12,21 )=𝟖𝟒
?
I have to take two different pills on a regular basis to combat Frostbite. Pill
3 A I take every 6 days. Pill B I take every 8 days. If I take both pills on January
1st, when is the next date I take both pills?
The number of days that have passed have to be a multiple of 6 and of 8.
?
January 25 th
But what about bigger numbers?

792, 378
Sometimes it’s not practical to use this method.
Can we use the prime factorisation somehow?

3 2
? Prime Factorisation

792=2 ×3 ×11 ? Prime Factorisation

But what about bigger numbers?
3 2
792=2 ×3 ×11
Exam Note: Both Foundation
and Higher Tier students are
expected to be able to do this.

The ‘what wins, what loses’ method

3 2
792=2 ×3 ×11 Step 1: Align numbers so that each
prime factor has its own column.

2 In terms of the 2s, what do both and have in

𝐻𝐶𝐹?= 2×
? 3 common as a factor?
Step 2: To calculate HCF, see ‘what
loses’ for each of the prime factors
(i.e. lowest power, where ‘nothing’
always loses against ‘something’).

? 3 ? 3 ?
𝐿𝐶𝑀=2? ×3 ×7×11
This time, what do both and go into?

Step 2: To calculate LCM, see ‘what wins’.

Quickfire Questions
Find the LCM and HCF of each. The prime factors have already been
lined up for you.

3
24=2 ×3
Recap:
“What loses”
? ?
2
45=3 ×5
? ? Recap:
“What wins”

?
?

30=2×3×5
Note: ‘Something’
always beats
‘nothing’.

? Note: A ‘draw’
? counts as both a
win and a lose.
More Examples

5 2 2 2
2016=2 ×3 ×7 588=2 ×3×7
Line numbers up:

(note that if there’s a ‘draw’,

both win and both lose)
? ?
Test Your Understanding

𝟒 𝟐
1936=𝟐 ×𝟏𝟏
𝟒 𝟐 ?𝟐
𝐿𝐶𝑀=𝟐 ×𝟑 ? ×𝟏𝟏 =𝟏𝟕𝟒𝟐𝟒
If you finish…
?
𝟐 𝟐
3675=𝟑 ×𝟓 ×𝟕 ?

𝟑 𝟐 ?
𝐿𝐶𝑀=𝟑×𝟓 ×𝟕 =𝟏𝟖𝟑𝟕𝟓 ?
Exercise 2
The K4 bus comes every 9 minutes. The K3 bus comes
Find the LCM and HCF of the following pairs of numbers 4 every 12 minutes. If they both come at 9am, at what time
1
(using any suitable method). will they next arrive at the same time?
6 and 8 ?
HCF = 2, LCM = 24 9:36am
?
13 and 5
?
HCF = 1, LCM = 65
?
12 and 15 HCF = 3, LCM = 60 5 Year 7 has 48 pupils in it. Year 8 has 90 pupils in it.

?
21 and 35 HCF = 7, LCM = 105 Each year group has to be divided into football teams, so
that all teams (across both Year 7 and 8) are the same size,
and no people are left over. What’s the largest team size?
2 Find the LCM and HCF of the following numbers in prime
HCF(48,90) = 6
factorised form.
 LCM
? ?
[Edexcel GCSE Nov2013-1F Q27i, Nov2013-1H Q7i] Rita is
HCF
6 going to make some cheeseburgers for a party.
 LCM
HCF ? She buys some packets of cheese slices and some boxes of
 LCM burgers.
HCF ? There are 20 cheese slices in each packet.
 LCM
HCF ? There are 12 burgers in each box.

Rita buys exactly the same number of cheese slices and

Find the LCM and HCF of the following pairs, by prime burgers.
3
factorising the numbers first (you are welcome to use the
‘FACT’ button on your calculator). (a) How many packets of cheese slices and how many
a) 36 and 378
?
LCM = 756, HCF = 18 boxes of burgers does she buy? 3 and 5
b) 315 and 3675
?
LCM = 11025, HCF = 105 ?
(b) Rita wants to put one cheese slice and one burger into
c) 72 and 66
?
LCM = 792, HCF = 6
each bread roll. She wants to use all the cheese slices and
d) 2880 and 792
?
LCM = 31680, HCF = 72
e) 375 and 325
?
LCM = 4875, HCF = 25 all the burgers. How many bread rolls does Rita need? 60
?
f) 252 and 2079
?
LCM = 8316, HCF = 63
Exercise 2
7 [Edexcel IGCSE(9-1) Jan 2019 2F Q20b, Jan 2019 2H Q6b] 10 [JMC 2009 Q18] Six friends are having dinner
together in their local restaurant. The first eats
Find the lowest common multiple (LCM) of , and . there every day, the second eats there every
other day, the third eats there every third day,
the fourth eats there every fourth day, the fifth

?
[Edexcel GCSE June2008-4H Q16b] James thinks of two
numbers. He says “The Highest Common Factor (HCF) of
every fifth day and the sixth eats there every
sixth day. They agree to have a party the next
8 time they all eat together there. In how many
my two numbers is 3 days’ time is the party?
The Lowest Common Multiple (LCM) of my two numbers ?
60 days
is 45”. Write down two numbers that James could be
11 [Edexcel IGCSE May2016-4H Q10] The highest
thinking of. 3 and 45 or 9 and 15
common factor (HCF) of 140 and is 20

?
[Edexcel GCSE(9-1) June 2018 3H Q10] Here are three The lowest common multiple (LCM) of 140 and
lamps. is 420. Find the value of .
9 Lamp A flashes every 20 seconds. 60 ?
Lamp B flashes every 45 seconds. 12 [IMC 2013 Q15] I have a bag of coins. In it, one
Lamp C flashes every 120 seconds. third of the coins are gold, one fifth of them are
silver, two sevenths are bronze and the rest are
The three lamps start flashing at the same time. copper. My bag can hold a maximum of 200
coins. How many coins are in my bag?
How many times in one hour will the three lamps flash at
A 101 B 105 C 153 D 195
the same time? LCM = 360  10 times Solution: B (LCM of 3, 5, 7)
?
?
Exercise 2
N finds the number of integers between 1 and that share no
factors with other than 1 (i.e. the HCF is 1).
For example because for two numbers up to 6,
1 and 5, HCF(6,1) = 1 and HCF(6, 5) = 1.

a) What is ? 4 ?
b)
c)
What is ? 6 ?
What in general is for a prime number ?

d)
?
Given that (provided that ), find

?
Fro Note: ’s posh name is ‘Euler’s Totient Function’.
NAVOIY PRESIDENTIAL SCHOOL

Extension :: Using Prime

Factorisations
Using prime factorisations

TRUE OF FALSE?
(use front of planner for true, back for false)

Q1 a factor of ?

True False

Remarks: You can think of as numbers in a

3 Venn Diagram.
If we make any selection from the numbers
2 in this collection, we can form a factor.
5
Using prime factorisations

TRUE OF FALSE?

Q2 a multiple of ?

True False

Remarks: If is a multiple of , then must be a

factor of .
7

7 3
Using prime factorisations

TRUE OF FALSE?

Q3 a factor of ?

True False

2 Remarks: Yes, if we have , we can select three of

2
these 2s to form a factor.
2 2 2
More generally, will be a factor of provided that .
Using prime factorisations

TRUE OF FALSE?

Q4 a factor of ?

True False

3 Remarks: No. We have one 2 and three 3s

available. can’t be a factor because we don’t
2 3 have two 2s available.
3
Using prime factorisations

TRUE OF FALSE?

Q5 Is a factor of ?

True False

3
2 2 Remarks: Yes, we have three 2s, two 3s and one 5
available.
2 3 We can select a 3 and a 5 to form a factor of 15.

5
Using prime factorisations

TRUE OF FALSE?

Q6 a multiple of ?

True False

2 2
Remarks: We could equivalently ask whether is a
2 factor of .
3 The answer is no because there are only two 3s
2 5
available in , so a factor couldn’t use three 3s.
3
2
Listing factors
TASK: List all the factors of
(leaving each factor in prime factorised form)

Help: Remember we have a factor of a

?

2 2
number if we make some selection from
all the prime factors.
?

2 ×3
?
3
? 2

? 2 3
?
?
? We get 1 as the factor in the
special case where we use
? none of the prime factors
(note that 1 is not prime!)
Further Practice
1 List all the factors of (leaving 2 List all the factors of (leaving
each factor in prime factorised each factor in prime factorised
form) form)

3 6
3 ×5 2 ? ?
Number of factors
How many factors does have?
We can see that has 9 factors. But could
we have obtained this number without
having to list them all out?

2 2
2 ×3
Q: How many possibilities were there for the
number of 2s we use for a particular factor?
3 possibilities: We use 2 of them, 1 of them,
or none at all. ?
Q: How many possibilities were there for the
number of 3s we use for a particular factor?
Again 3 possibilities ?

Q: Therefore how many total possibilities (i.e.

factors) are there?
For each of the 3 possible number of 2s, there
are 3 possible number ?of 3s.
which is what we expected!
Number of factors
How many factors does have?
There are 6 possibilities for number of 3s chosen for factor (none, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
? chosen for factor (none, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).
There are 7 possibilities for number of 5s
Num factors

! To get the number of factors of a number in prime factorised

form, add one to each power and times the powers together.

Quickfire Questions
How many factors does each of the following have?
factors ? factors ?
factors ? factors ?
factors ?
factors ?
factors ?
factors ?
factors ?
Test Your Understanding
1 How many factors does have?
factors ?
2 By first finding the prime factorisation, find the
number of factors of 120.

?
factors
3 Is 42 a factor of ?
No, as , but does not have a 3. ?
4 How many factors does have?

?
factors.
Exercise 3
Which of the following are factors of Without listing out the factors, work out
1 4 how many factors each of the following
? Answer true of false.
numbers have:
a) True ? a) 15 factors ?
b) False ? b) 6 factors
c) True ? c) 16 factors
?
d) False ? d)
?
11 factors
e) False
? e) 121 factors
?
List all of the twelve factors of , leaving your ?
2 Work out how many factors each of the
factors in prime factorised form. 5
following numbers have:
f) factors
Answer true or false. g) factors
?
f) is a factor of ?True h) factors
?
g) is a multiple of False i) factors
?
h) 35 is a factor of False ?
i) 24 is a factor of [JMC 2000 Q23] A certain number has
3 6
True, as ; enough 2s and 3s? are exactly eight factors including 1 and itself.
Two of its factors are 21 and 35. What is
available within . ?
? the number?
Note that and .
So the number must be some multiple of . But
? ?
this does have 8 factors, as .
Exercise 3
N [JMO 1997 B2] Every prime number has two
factors. How many integers between 1 and
200 have exactly four factors?
Solution: 59. To have four factors the
number has to be of the? form , or , where
and are prime numbers.